The Replacement
by momewrathsway
Summary: After Charlie is shunned by the island, he goes off to live on his own. There, he meets a girl who just might be exactly what he needs to get his mind off of Claire.
1. Chapter 1

The Replacement

Charlie sat alone in the jungle with his back against a tree. He'd picked out a pretty good place for himself. After walking for about a day and a half, he'd come across a huge lake in the middle of no where, and decided to make it his own.

He built himself a hammock out of veins between two trees and covered it with blankets for a bed. He stored his guitar and the duffle bag of food and cloths he'd brought with him inside a whole that at in the trunk of a very old tree.

Because all of the stuff from his shelter had been left with Claire, he didn't really have much to make it with. He decided that when it stormed, he would just go under the waterfall and wait it out.

He'd been sitting for a while, trying to think of a way to keep himself occupied. He went through the list of things he'd already done in his mind. Eat breakfast, done. Play his guitar, done, try to write, done, take a piss, done.

There wasn't really much else too do. Then it dawned on him. After all, it had been about two days since he left the camp, and the trip there had been pretty grueling, plus all the work it took to set up his new home.

As he dug into reached into the whole in the tree and unzipped the duffle bag, he wondered why he hadn't thought of this sooner. He rummaged through the pockets until he found a bar of soap and zipped it back up before heading out to the lake.

It was still early in the day, and the clear, blue water was sparkling in the sun light. Charlie kicked off his shoes at the edge and pulled off the few bracelets, rings and the neckless he'd been wearing. He tucked his jewelry inside his shoes and began to undress.

The thought of him being watched did not occur, so he removed his cloths freely. That is until he had begun to unbutton his pants, and he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat from a distance.

Startled, he looked up quickly, looking around paranoidly to see who had mad the sound. His eyes fell upon a young women who stood in an opening on the other side of the lake, witch was about two yards from where he was.

"Good morning" He greeted, not at all embarrassed as he re buttoned his genes. "You too" The girl replied with a smile, the kind you get when your embarrassed but you don't want to show it. Charlie recognized her from the beach, but until now this was the first time the two of them had spoken.

"Why are you all the way out here?" He questioned after a moment, remembering the distance he'd walked to get to the lake. "I got tired of the beach. Then I got tired of the caves. So I thought I'd find a place for myself" She explained with a casual shrug, leaning back against a tree.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but this lake happens to be mine" He explained jokingly as he pulled his shirt back on. "Oh really?" She questioned, raising a skeptic eye brow. "Yep, Lake Charlie." He confirmed with a laugh. The girl laughed as well.

"Well, then, Charlie, keeper of the lake, how about you let me rent this side?" The girl suggested, taking a few steps forward. "I don't think that's a good idea" He replied with a midl sigh. "Oh, and whys that?" She questioned with a catlike smile. "Because you'd have a highly dangerous drug addict as a neighbor" He explained bluntly. At first she laughed.

"Oh...your serious" She concluded after a moment, chewing on her lower lip. "Well, not quite" He noted, crossing his arms as he leaned back against a tree. She gave him a curious look that told him to continue. He wasn't sure why she wanted to know, but, for some reason, he was very compelled to tell her.

to be contenuied...

Hey guys, new story. Not extremly long, but I've divided it up into really small parts so it will take less time to post. I'm still working on Sivlized, just incase your curious. But the idea for this popped into my head and I just had to write it down! Well, hope you enjoyed so far :D


	2. Chapter 2

Albelle: First reveiw, yay! Glad you like the story so far. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Lostlorenzo: hey whore, what are you in hiding from? lol. Glad you like the idea. Its the first Charlie fic I've done without Claire. I felt a little bad about that, but she's kind of bugging me now. Shes still one of my favorites, but she's treating poor Charlie like shit and I just can't have that. Any way, I decided to make this a long fic, because I really like the idea, witch means I won't be contenuing any of the other stories. But this one will be very angsty, as you put it, so I'm sure you'll enjoy :D

lost without bing: lol. Well, her name isn't max, but your welcome to pretend it is!lol. That way you won't have to break my arm, cause that would make it hard to type and then where would we be? Any way, thanks for the reveiw, I'll try to keep it interesting.

The Replacement

"See, I used to be a junkie before the crash" he began, reluctantly, not caring to know why she wanted to hear his life story. "But because you didn't have any drugs.." She continued for him, taking an obvious guess. "No, believe me. I had drugs" He confirmed with a laugh. "I had a whole fucking plain full."

The girl shot him a confused look and he explained. "Drug smugglers, plain crashed on the island. Smuggled them in virgin marry statues, how sacrilegious is that?" He questioned with a snicker. She smiled in amusement, and he continued.

"Any way, as soon as the people on the island found out that I knew about the drugs, the automatically assumed I was doing them. Then they decided that all of my odd behavior was not from the fact that a women I was pretty much and love with refused to speak with me, or let her see her baby, who I'd been having some pretty bad night bares about, but from all the mounds of heroine I must have been doing" He rambled angrily, a bitter sarcasm in his voice.

"Wow. That blows" The girl confirmed casually, not knowing what else to say. "Yeah. Yeah it dose" He nodded in agreement, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I don't care what the people on the island think. Or the people in the cave.

So if you don't mind, Charlie, I'm gonna work my way across this lake, and you and I are gonna be neighbors" She confirmed, giving him little options to deny her.

"Fine with me" He replied with a shrug and a smile, and watched as she knelt down and began untying her shoes so she could go across the water. Once they were off, she lowered herself down the side of the ledge, that was only a foot or two above the surface of the lake on that side, and into the shallow water.

The part she walked through only came up to her knees, so it wasn't that difficult to move through.By the time she made it over, Charlie was sitting down once again with his back against the tree. He watched absent-mindedly as she looked around his little camp.

"Nice place" She noted, mildly impressed. "Thanks" He replied with a shrug, not able to take credit for much. "You can put your stuff in the tree. Keeps it dry" He explained, giving an indicating nod towards the tree he was speaking of.

She wondered over to the tree, tossed her bag into the whole, and then wondered back over to the edge of the lake where he sat, and took a seat beside him.

"Are you always this quiet?" She questioned, leaning back on the palms of her hands and tilting her head to the side. "No, actually I'm usually quite talkative" He explained honestly.

"Good" She confirmed, lowering herself on her back and folding her arms behind her head. "Cause I'd like to hear a lot more of that sexy accent" She added casually, a sly grin across her face.

At first, Charlie was taken by surprise at this remark, but after a moment, his expression warmed into an embarrassed smile. She noticed it quickly, and a proud smirk worked its way across her features. "So, what part of England are you from?" She asked curiously, looking up at the trees over head that just barely blocked the sun from where they sat.

"Manchester" He replied, shifting so that instead of sitting in Indian style, one leg was outstretched and the other bent. "Cool" She replied with a nod of approval. "And you?" He asked curiously, noting by her voice that she was clearly Australian.

He was happy that she didn't have one of the sharp accents that many Australians had, the ones that made them all sound like they were about to catch a crocodile. Her accents was a lot softer, closer to English, only more casual. Much like Claire's. Even the way she said his name reminded him of Claire. He tried not to think about it.

"Melbourne" She explained, her eyes still glued on the sky above them. Charlie nodded. He didn't know where to go from there. "Oh, and by the way, may name is Elise" she added, turning her head to look up at him.

"Nice to meet you, Elise" he replied, reaching out his hand to shake hers. "You too, Charlie" She replied with a smile. She reached out her hand and finished the gesture, and for a moment, neither one of them said a word. A connection had been made, one Charlie hoped would not break as esily as the one he'd made with Claire.

to be contenuied...


	3. Chapter 3

The Replacement 

Lostlorenzo: Glad your "lovin it" You crazy McDonalds whore. I'm defiantly planning to have a point where Claire begins to miss Charlie, especially when she sees him with Elise. I'm not sure where its gonna go from there, who he'll end up with, but whatever happens, I'm sure it will be damn good! Alright, I'm not gonna make this to long cause I'm in the middle of writing another chapter, so I'll cut it short. I'm gonna go read your new story soon, I'm sure it will be awesome. Luv ya, peace! 

Alabelle: Glad you like it. I made the story M rating because there's probably going to be sex in later chapters. Plus some profanity here and there. 

After shaking his hand, she sat up and pushed herself to her feet. Charlie looked up in confusion, watching her walk barefoot on the tiny shore and step back into the water, pulling up her shirt as she walked. 

"Uhh.." He trailed off, not knowing what to think as he watched her pull the thin white tank over her head, lifting the mass of her curly, dirty-blonde hair along with it. She balled the shirt up and tossed it aside, flashing him a smile over her shoulder. 

"What? Am I making you uncomfortable?" She questioned with a laugh. "No, I just...wasn't expecting it" He replied, kind of embarrassed. "Well, I've been walking for almost a day and a half and I'm feeling pretty Grosse, so..." She concluded, and began unbuttoning her jeans, that had been rolled up almost to her knees. 

"Yeah, me too. That's what I was about to do before you showed up" He explained, completely understanding. "Then get your ass in here" She insisted playfully. Charlie bit his lip skeptically, not sure if jumping into a lake with a strange girl was a good idea. 

"Come on. I don't care if you used to be a junkie or if you were dangerous, but I will not tolerate a neighbor who stinks" She confirmed persistently, now half way into the deep end of the lake so the water reached a few inches below her waist. 

"Fine" Charlie agreed with a sigh, and pushed himself to his feet. He pulled off his shirt once again and tossed it aside, then headed into the water. 

"Your genes are gonna be soaked" She noted, watching him in slight amusement. "Yeah, but I'm not wearing anything under them and the water is fuckingcold" He explained, now at about the same level as her. "Wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression" He added, flashing her a grin. 

After the two wasted up, the sun started to fade. The climbed back to the shore and laid out a blanket so the sand and dirt on the thin strip of shoreline didn't stick to them. They sat by Charlie's tree and he leaned his back against it, yawning in exhaustion as he watched Elise go through her backpack and pull out a water bottle and a few odd fruits. 

Charlie's bag had already been opened, and he had been tossing a green apple up and down in his hand for the past few minutes. "So, do you like the green ones better or did you just get sick of the red?" Elise asked through a mouth full of banana, trying to stripe up conversation. 

"Umm...yeah, I think I like the green better" He replied, thoughtfully. He'd never really thought about it before. "I mean, they're all good. Apples are apples, right?" He questioned with a shrug. 

"Yeah, I guess. But I like the green ones better. They make you horny" She noted with a laugh. He couldn't tell if she was being suggestive, or just immature. 

"If that's true, I probably shouldn't be eating them" He muttered jokingly. The two shared a laugh. "Well, if you eat to many and the urge gets to strong, just let me know" She noted playfully, although he couldn't really tell if she was joking. "I'll keep that in mind" He replied with a smile before biting into the apple. 

They ate their lunch and talked and joked around, completely secluded from all of the others on the island. It was like they were in their on little bubble that nothing could break into. Just the two of them. And for once in a very long time, he wasn't worried about Claire or the baby. He wasn't worried about any of the other survivors. He wasn't worried about himself. 

He felt happy. He felt natural. He felt human. 


	4. Chapter 4

The Replacement 

Alabell: Thanks! Glad you liked it! 

Mrs. Pace: Thanks! I like your pin name a lot! 

Chilton Puff: First off, thanks for reading my story. I'm not usually a big fan of Mary Sue fics either, but I think this one was a pretty good idea. I know my spelling is pretty rough and I do appreciate you being honest enough to let me know. I am always open to a BETA, but unfortunately, they can be pretty hard to find. I have gotten a better form of spell check, so that might help some. Any way, thanks for the review and I hope to hear more from you soon. 

Two days later... 

"Its gonna rain soon" Elise noted, sitting on a rock by the water and squinting up at the sky. 

"Yeah, it looks pretty gray" Charlie agreed, glancing upward. "Do you know any place we can go to keep dry?" She questioned hopefully. "Nope. I haven't really thought about it" He replied honestly. 

"Well, we better start thinking, cause its probably going to raining on and off for the next couple days" She suggested, taking a seat on a rock near by. 

"I suppose we could head back to the beach, get some tarp and stuff" He noted, chewing on his lower lip. "That's a good idea. We should leave as soon as possible, that way we can make it back to the caves before night fall" She noted, hopping up to fetch her bag out of the tree. 

"Yeah, your probably right" He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He grabbed his bag out, leaving his guitar behind, knowing it would be safe where it was. Once they were done gathering their things, they headed back into the jungle. It was humid and damp, making the long walk pretty uncomfortable. 

But the conversation was good and the two kept each other entertained until they made it to the caves. It was dark by the time they got there, and many of the people at the caves had already gone to sleep. The two had been laughing hysterically over one of Charlie's dumb remarks and were forced to hush themselves when they stumbled upon their fellow castaways. 

"Charlie, where have you been?" Jack questioned in a low voice as he approached. "I decided it would be a good idea to go off on my own for a little while" He explained, sounding a little nervous. "Well next time you leave at least let someone know. We were worried about you" Jack explained, in concern. 

The words took Charlie by surprise. After what he did, he assumed no one would care. Hell, he could have jumped off a cliff and they 'ed all soon forget. "Uh, sure Jack. I will next time" Charlie replied, not exactly sure how to respond. Jack just smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then stepped aside. 

Charlie shoot a glance toward Elise, who shrugged, and then started walking. "Oh, and Charlie-" Jack called over, turning back around. Charlie stopped once again. "Yeah?" He questioned, wondering why anyone on the island would ever speak to him again. "Let me check those stitches tomorrow, before you head back" Jack instructed. 

"Will do" Charlie confirmed with an appreciative. "Alright then, good night" Jack replied, glancing at Elise for a moment, but not asking any further questions. "Night" Charlie replied, and they headed their separate ways. 

By now, it had started to drizzle. Charlie wondered over to the little huddle of rocks where he used to sleep when he stayed in the caves and lowered himself down. 

There wasn't much room, and it was getting kind of hot, so he pulled off his hoodie and balled it up, forming a pillow for himself. He leaned his head back against the coat, witch rested against one of the rocks, and curled up his legs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wondering if he'd be able to sleep. 

After a moment, he heard quiet foot steps. He didn't open his eyes, assuming the noise was just some random islander getting up to take a leak, until they stopped right beside him. He glanced up just in time to see Elise lower herself down beside him. For a moment he was confused. Then she curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. 

She didn't say anything at first, and neither did he. As she shifted and got comfortable, laying her hand flat on his chest, he found it hard to relax. She wasn't freaking him out or making him uncomfortable, he was just in shock. Shocked that someone would want to touch him, to be near him. 

"Go to sleep, ass whole" She instructed without lifting her head. Charlie couldn't help but laugh at the remark. That lessened the shock a little, and he was able to relax. He shifted to get comfortable and put his arm around her, deciding that if she wanted to be near him, he wasn't going to argue. Besides, sleeping next to someone like her didn't seem so bad. Not bad at all.  



	5. Chapter 5

. 

The Replacement 

Alabelle: Aw, I'm glad you liked the little cuddling seen. I swear, sometimes my fics can be so sappy. lol. But hey, if you like that, there's still plenty more to come! And by the way, a BETA is someone who is a reader of your stories that readers them over and spell checks them before you post them. Basically, their your editor. 

"Rise and shine" Elise greeted with a sarcastically bright smile, peering down at Charlie, who still laid among the rocks. "Ow, what did you just throw at me?" He questioned, tiredly. "your breakfast" She replied, giving and indicating glance towards the apple that laid beside him. "You seem like the kind of guy who's hungry as soon as he wakes up, so I grabbed one for you" She explained as she pulled on her back pack. 

"Oh, how thoughtful of you" He muttered sarcastically, rubbing the spot on his head where the apple had made impact, as he sat up. "Be happy, its green" She noted playfully. He couldn't help but laugh. "Where are you going?" He asked, curious as to why she was wearing her back pack. 

"The beach, to get the crap we need for our tent, remember?" She reminded him, teasingly. "Now?" He questioned in a whisper as he looked around, realizing it was barely day break. 

"Yeah, get your stuff" She confirmed without an opening for argument. Charlie sighed and pulled himself up, grabbing his bag and his apple. "Do you always wake up this early?" He questioned, catching up to her quickly. "Yeah, pretty much" She replied with a shrug as the two made their way towards the beach. 

"Well, for future notice, don't wake me up. I'm not a morning person" He confirmed, warningly. "That so? You seem pretty cheery to me" She noted, titling her head side ways as she flashed him a playful smile. "That's because I have a green apple" He replied with a smirk, and took his first bite. 

Elise giggled and shook her head, and the two kept walking. The sun had began to rise as they reached the beach, leaving the sky a grayish blue that seemed to be glowing, although everything under it was still dark. They made their way onto the sand and sat their stuff down where her tent used to be. 

"So, where did you stay?" She questioned, laying her bag on a little table beneath her tent. "On the other end of the beach" He replied, not wanting to go into details. "Do you think your stuff is still there?" She asked curiously, glancing up from what she was doing. 

"No. Me and Claire were sharing a tent, so all of our stuff is still being used" He explained, looking down at his feet. "Oh, damn. You should have made her sign a prenup." Elise noted sarcastically. Charlie laughed and set his bags down. 

"Well then, I guess we should start taking this heap of crap down" She noted, pushing herself to her feet and looking over her faulty little tent. "I guess so" Charlie nodded in agreement. He waited for her to move, but she remained still, looking over the tent as if it were something she'd miss. 

"Would you like to say any last words?" He questioned, trying not to sound as sarcastic as it came out. "Yeah" Elise nodded solemnly. "Tent, you suck." She spoke in completely serious tone. After a moment, the two burst out into laughter. "Ok, tare it down" She instructed, and the two of them got to work. 

It didn't take them long to dismember her little tent, and they managed to fit all the tarp and sticks they needed into one big duffle bag. "I don't think this is enough crap for two people to live under" She noted, zipping up the bag. "Are you sure you can't get any of your stuff back?" She asked, hopefully. 

"Nope. I've put Claire through enough crap. I'm not going to give her any more" He confirmed, looking down at the sand. "Alright, then. We're just gonna have to find something else to use" She suggested, understandingly. Charlie nodded, momentarily lost in thought. Elise felt the need to draw him out of his guilt and cheer him up, so she pushed herself to her feet and started walking away. 

"Where are you going?" He questioned, looking up at her in confusion. "I'm going swimming" She explained, once again pulling off her top as she headed towards the water. "Are you coming?" She questioned, shooting him a look over her shoulder. "Yeah" He replied, and pushed himself up. 

He threw off his shirt and fallowed her into the water. He didn't go far in, knowing very well that he didn't know how to swim. "What's the matter?" Elise questioned, already a good yard ahead of him. "I can't really swim" He explained, slightly embarrassed. 

"Aw, that's so sad!" She noted playfully. Charlie laughed and his face went red. "Come on, I'll teach you" She insisted, grabbing hold of his hand. "Um, no thanks" He replied nervously. 

"What's the matter? You scared?" She questioned teasingly. "Yes" He replied bluntly. "Ok, fine" She sighed and let go of his hand. "If your not gonna swim, we should head back to the beach" She suggested, sounding a little disappointed. "Ok" He replied with a shrug, showing his enthusiasm towards getting out of the ocean with ease. 

As soon as he had his back turned, Elise leaped on him, pulling her arms around his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his waist. The force of her jump nearly knocked him over, but he managed to hold his ground. 

"Your trying to drown me, aren't you?" He questioned, looking at her over his shoulder as he tugged through the water. "Maybe" She replied, looking around innocently. 

"Ok, just checking" He replied with a shrug. The two just laugh. He collapes when he reached the sand, laying flat on his stomach and resting his head on his arms. 

"Tired?" She questioned, startling his back and playing with his hair. "Mm,hm" was his pathetic reply. The waves came in and shallow slides of water rolled up around them. Charlie didn't budge. He was exhausted from the walk there. How Elise had so much energy left amazed him. She was like the fucking energizer bunny. He just couldn't keep up. 

He buried his face in his arms and let himself relax as the waves came in and out, surrounding them with an inch of water as they came and went. All the while Elise played with his hair and babbled on about what ever popped into her head, and Charlie just listened. 

In conversation, Charlie had usually felt the uncontrollable need to talk. He could never just sit and listen. But with Elise, things were different. He could listen to her voice all damn day. And there on the beach, with just the two of them, he couldn't think of any place he'd rather be. 

to be contenuied... 


	6. Chapter 6

The Replacement

Alabelle: Hey, hun. Your right, the do need to kiss soon. And I do use the word crap quite often. lol. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Thanks for the review!

"Morning sunshine" Sawyer greeted, arms crossed as he leaned back against the tree. "Good morning" Claire replied absent-mindedly, juggling the majority of her attention on the laundry and the baby who woke up only a few minutes ago and was now charged with energy.

"Where's your watch dog?" He questioned, teasingly. "Um, I'm a little busy, Sawyer" She replied without looking up, completely ignoring his comment. "Oh yeah?" He questioned with a scoff. "You ain't the only one."

Curious, Claire glanced up. Sawyer tilted his head, giving and indicating nod towards the shoreline where Charlie and Eliselaid in the sand. Claire squinting into the distance, a confused look on her face as she watched the two. Charlie was now laying on his back, holding Elise's hands as she sat on top of him, struggling playfully.

"Who's she?" Claire questioned, not meaning to say it out loud. "Beats me" Sawyer shrugged, pushing himself off the tree.

"But Charlie seems to be getting along with her pretty well" He added with a smirk. "

Apparently" Claire noted, her eyes glued to the flirtatious display before them.

She noticed the way Sawyer was grinning and averted her eyes, pretending to fold the shirt that she'd been holding.

"Think they make a cute couple?" He questioned playfully. Claire sighed in annoyance.

"I think they do. I mean, look at her. Cute, friendly, blonde, Australian. Hell, she's just like you!" Sawyer continued, amused by the aggravation he was causing. Claire pretended to ignore him as she folded her cloths, but couldn't keep herself from watching the two in disgust.

"Maybe that's why he's hanging with her" Sawyer concluded thoughtfully. "What are you talking about, Sawyer?" Claire questioned, slamming the cloths down in annoyance.

"She's your replacement" He confirmed with a grin. Claire scoffed in aggravation. "Are you done now?" She questioned, raising an eye brow. "I don't see why your getting all upset. You replaced him first. At least he's not sending his new girl over here to beat the shit out of you" Sawyer noted, tauntingly.

"Yeah, well I never stole his baby while I was high on heroine" Claire replied, smartly, violently throwing the rest of the pile into the basket. "Damn, girl! Feeling a little moody this morning?" Sawyer questioned, teasingly. "Fuck off, Sawyer" Claire snapped in frustration.

For a moment, Sawyer seemed shocked. Claire usually put up with him pretty well. Most of the time she actually laughed along with his teasing. It seemed like she was the only person on the island who knew how to take a joke. This was the first time he'd ever gotten to her. This was the first time she'd ever cussed at him.

Not knowing how to react, Sawyer just turned around and walked away, looking at her over his shoulder a few times in concern. Claire didn't look at him. By now, she was to pissed off. She finished putting the cloths away and carried the basket to a table in the back of her tent. She set it down and stood for a moment, feeling a sudden wave of emotion come over her.

She looked over her shoulder at the two of them, play fighting and rolling around in the sand like a couple of kids. He looked so happy. They way he used to look when he was with her.

Charlie had always made her happy. He made her laugh, he made her feel safe. Now she just felt alone. Sure, John was good with Aaron. He could protect her. But he wasn't a Avery good friend. To serious. To weird. He could never make her feel the way Charlie used to make her feel. And for a moment, she forgot about the drugs. She forgot about the betrayal. She forgot about what he did with Aaron. She just wanted him back.


	7. Chapter 7

The Replacement 

Allabelle: glad you liked it. I defiantly wanted Claire to be involved in the story, even if she has bugged me slightly in recent episodes. She's still one of my favorites. Witch is why its so hard to decide who Charlie will end up with in the end. 

Lostlorenzo: Of course Sawyer was the instigator. Its his job. Causing problems. And of course Claire is jealous. Who could blame her? But I agree, I would love to be Elise. And like you said, I'm pretty torn. I can't decide who he'll end up with. oh well, I'll figure it out sooner or later. 

It was the next morning. Elise was still asleep in the little pile of blankets her and Charlie had made into a bed. Charlie had woken up early and, unable to go back to sleep, decided to take a walk. 

He wondered on the edge of the water in his bare feet, hands shoved into the pockets of his rolled up jeans, thinking about the last few days. He didn't feel bad about what he'd done. It was all just a big misunderstanding. He wasn't angry or vengefully. Well, maybe a bit towards Locke, but for the most part he'd moved on. 

He'd gotten used to the idea of the island ignoring him, pretending like he didn't exist. All except Elise of course. He heard foot steps approaching and he looked up, surprised to see Claire. 

"Hey" She greeted, sounding a little nervous. For a long time, Charlie simply stared back in confusion, wondering why anyone, especially Claire, would be walking up to him. "Hey" He replied in a quiet voice, wondering if he was about to be yelled at again. 

"I heard you moved out into the jungle" She noted, biting her bottom lip. "Yeah, thought It would be a good idea" He replied with a nod, avoiding eye contact. "Why'd you come back?" She questioned, not wanting it to sound as accusing as it did when it came out. Charlie looked up, trying to hide the sudden change in his expression. 

"Its storming off and on, we needed to get some supplies to make a tent" He explained, his voice shaking. He'd been better. He'd felt better. He was gonna mind his own business and they could all mind theirs. So why did she have to come and interrogate him? 

"We?" Claire questioned, trying to cover up the jealously in her voice. "Yeah, me and Elly" He confirmed, giving an indicating glance over to where Elly slept. "Oh" Claire nodded, looking down at the sand. "Well, if you need supplies, your welcome to take some stuff from our tent" Claire offered after a moment, looking up at him once again. 

Once again, Charlie was confused. "I'm not gonna take anything from your tent Claire" He confirmed, simply. "Why not? I mean, you built it. You lived in it. I think your entitled to get some of it" Claire insisted. "I don't need it" He assured, and began to walk again. "Charlie, your living out in the jungle, miles away from us. Your gonna need shelter!" She concluded persistently, walking after him. 

"I don't need anything from you, alright?" Charlie snapped in aggravation. Claire stopped in her tracks, a look of surprise on her face. "Not any more" He added, shaking his head as he walked away. 

to be contenuied... 


	8. Chapter 8

The Replacement

Claire sat at her tent with Aaron on her lap, rocking him gently as she tried to understand what had just happened. Why was Charlie so angry? Was it the withdraws? No, he didn't seem to be that bad. In fact, he didn't seem sick at all. Other then the fact that he snapped at her, he seemed like his normal self. Then why did he snap? He had no right to be angry at her. He knew what he did. He left because he was guilty. At least, that's what she'd thought.

"Morning Claire" Locke greeted, wondering over to her tent. "Morning" She replied, looking up for only a second. "How's Aaron?" He asked with a smile. "He's good" She replied, absent mindedly. Locke sighed and stood in front of her.

"I saw you talking to Charlie this morning" He noted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah" Claire replied in confusion, wondering how that was any of his business. "Why were you talking to him?" Locke questioned, sounding like an interrogating father.

"Why dose it matter?" She asked in reply. "It matters because he's a drug addict who stole your son! He's dangerous, Claire!" Locke concluded insistently. Aaron began to fuss in her arms, and Claire attention quickly turned to him. She rose to her feet, laying the baby on her shoulder and rocking him gently, trying her best to comfort him.

"He's been clean for at least two weeks now. I think its safe to say he's not a addict any more" Claire reminded, giving him a cold stare. "Yeah, he's clean. Clean because I took his drugs. Clean because I hid them! If I hadn't god knows what else he might have done!" Locke explained angrily, whispering in order to keep from yelling and upsetting the baby.

"Actually, Locke. The girls got a point" Sawyer noted from his tent. "Stay out of this Sawyer" Locke suggested, turning around only for a moment before turning back to Claire. "Excuse me badly, but I think Claire would benefit from knowing that when I stole your guns I also managed to get out a few of those statues" Sawyer explained, making sure he was getting a hold of their attention.

"You did what?" Locke questioned, giving him an angry Lear. "Yep. Thought it might come in handy, having my own little helper" Sawyer continued with his usual sarcastic appeal. "So you actually gave him drugs? After seeing all the things he did?" Locke demanded in complete shock.

"That was the plan" Sawyer nodded, lighting up a cigarette as he leaned back against the nearest tree. "Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out" He added after a slow drag. "Why?" Claire questioned, suddenly making her presence known. "Because the kid turned them down" Sawyer explained. "Said he didn't want the drugs."

"Your lying. Don't listen to him Claire" Locke instructed in denial. Sawyer simply laughed. "Did you ever see him take the drugs Locke?" She questioned softly, looking up at him with slight betrayal.

"I saw him with a broken statue at his feet!" Locke confirmed with ease. "But did you see him take it?" She questioned insistently. Locke sighed and looked down. "No, Claire. I never saw him" He confirmed, knowing that he very well may have just lost.

"I...I have to go" Claire explained, and walked off with Aaron in her arms. Locke shot Sawyer a leer and Sawyer just laugh. "Sorry old man. You can't win them all" Sawyer confirmed with a laugh and wondered back to his tent while Claire went off to find Jack.

She found him on the other end of the beach, zipping up a bag that he usually kept full of medical supplies. "Hey Jack" She greeted, stopping in front of Claire. "Hey Claire. What can I do for you?" He questioned in a friendly tone. Claire took a seat on a rock beside him. "Have you seen Charlie lately?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, I just took out his stitches a few minutes ago" Jack replied, giving her a confused look. "Did he seem...sick?" She asked, not exactly knowing how to put it. "You mean from withdraws?" He offered, already knowing where she was going with the question. Claire nodded.

"As a matter of fact, he didn't. No sweating, no shaking, no change in moods. He seemed perfectly fine." Jack explained, just realizing it himself. Claire didn't no how to respond.

"I know this might not be something you want to here, but if you ask me, I think we all judged Charlie a little to soon" Jack confirmed, pushing himself to his feet. "Yeah" Claire nodded, "Me too."


End file.
